[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6347737,"mediaKeyId","2244697-8ca2bbc9c85eff4b413f4f4dea59dff3","parentId",2244697,"title","Puget Sound Energy tells Edmonds council city is sole holdout on AMI meter project, warns of higher costs","audioSeconds",168,"startMs",943000,"endMs",1111000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2244697-8ca2bbc9c85eff4b413f4f4dea59dff3&start=943&end=1111","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2244697-8ca2bbc9c85eff4b413f4f4dea59dff3/thumbnail_943000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6347737/Edmonds/Snohomish-County/Washington/Puget-Sound-Energy-tells-Edmonds-council-city-is-sole-holdout-on-AMI-meter-project-warns-of-higher-costs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6347737-179b65a6b2f6e34c2dcb59ac180575da/orig.mp4?Expires=1775652534&Signature=YTIJcNjQTpoiJ24nuAVzhPmId~rHhfsTqk3GPoqXOETeVq8RWdCrwXNrnpaBAxAL4tT-fCFIzQm3DMjKm2F5A1c0OnBa3kUGGBGvWEn1CCFWu6sjFUgm7KKTMFdIlJ68--4JLF61d6MwK8tEMnU~bk4tmUfYKWmkSPRLiAbcy~gPqB1mSH6hxpD2-NRGT1TOxDIBIruCcCJ2LCzCOr5SO0O1ro6zNKyW47WVFhGwcWs3OCTe~Qdd9k2sRORVaX0hleSkUYzTr1hSX501Jm-kvwiYWuZrI0PsbZEYimg9r7iQFYr2DV8Hn30Z00RHpYBr3Bx7fs0SnsEQP8hFqs8aTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Edmonds City, WA","date","2025-02-04T00:00:00Z","article","Robert Noel, a representative of Puget Sound Energy, told the Edmonds City Council during the audience-comment period on Feb. 4 that Edmonds remains the only jurisdiction in the utility’s service territory that has rejected the company’s advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) deployment.

Noel said AMI is the industry standard and that the utility deployed the system across its territory between 2018 and 2023, with Edmonds as the exception. He said the company must contract with outside firms to manually read meters only in Edmonds, and that customers outside Edmonds are currently paying increased costs associated with manual reads. Noel said Puget Sound Energy is working to recover additional costs associated with operating a functionally obsolete system in Edmonds and is committed to working with the city.

No formal council action on the matter was recorded during the meeting. Noel left contact information for council members and said the utility appreciated the mayor’s engagement on the topic.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Regular Meeting 2/4/2025","oneSentenceSummary","A Puget Sound Energy representative told the council Edmonds is the only jurisdiction in the utility’s service area that has rejected the deployment of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), requiring manual reads in Edmonds and prompting the utility to seek cost recovery.","taxTitle","Edmonds, Snohomish County, Washington","taxId",51965,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6347743,"Council appoints pro and con committees for special election; members selected by random draw and vote",331,3799000,4130000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2244697-8ca2bbc9c85eff4b413f4f4dea59dff3&start=3799&end=4130","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2244697-8ca2bbc9c85eff4b413f4f4dea59dff3/thumbnail_3799000.jpg","/articles/6347743/Edmonds/Snohomish-County/Washington/Council-appoints-pro-and-con-committees-for-special-election-members-selected-by-random-draw-and-vote","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6347743-9bfd0107969db400d51d96e49459353a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775652534&Signature=BZYQW0b5H8hi-clZfHPph3vUupjQaFvTbKWL8jSEPL1JgHFcTrV5raDwfppCt7QWUWJiPAYxkixa2aBzS5I3XmM45velJbAWYKigXR3-0aeIW9qyv~pjs~Xdr8cofpSs6E9hZHfmS5uqXjOP-floRUItWgTXA4yrwsxCvWqvE07ZWmA24vP5J9o2xKQhEZvPnXph5oSu2jG2sLCe7n5LrOxWSLsQCqq8bB1q4tCp11bgkZBUH2XtSpFtmkvOF9Ri0syoODTLfSI6uc9o5gzXMzYTOkggOwd6sTzBBlwzKJswngGTxfqVVG7~CDqITrTldnuww1Ch61KrmLEeXb3bHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Edmonds City Council selected members for the pro and con committees that will prepare statements for an upcoming special election by drawing candidate names and voting in the order drawn.

Clerk staff explained the process: names would be drawn to determine voting order, and an applicant is appointed when they receive four or more council votes. The first three candidates to receive the threshold would be appointed to each committee.

For the pro committee the draw order produced votes that resulted in the appointment of Adam Cornell, Patrick Hepler and Maria Montalvo. The recorded tallies in the transcript were: Patrick Hepler received six votes when his turn was called; Maria Montalvo received a unanimous vote; Adam Cornell received the full panel vote when called. Brooke Roberts did not reach the four‑vote threshold in the recorded votes and was not appointed.

For the con committee the appointed members and vote counts recorded were: Theresa Hutchinson (5 votes), James Oganowski (4 votes) and Kevin Fagerstrom (5 votes). Staff explained the committees will select their chairs and prepare argument language for the voter pamphlet; the council will forward committee rosters to the county for inclusion in the election process.

Council President Tibbitt said the county will record the appointments and the committees will be instructed on their subsequent duties, which include drafting statements to appear in the voters’ pamphlet.","The council conducted a random draw and voted to appoint three members to the pro committee and three to the con committee for an upcoming special election pamphlet process; votes and vote counts were recorded on the record.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6347747,"Council confirms Richard Gould as Edmonds finance director; unanimous vote",336,3343000,3679000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2244697-8ca2bbc9c85eff4b413f4f4dea59dff3&start=3343&end=3679","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2244697-8ca2bbc9c85eff4b413f4f4dea59dff3/thumbnail_3343000.jpg","/articles/6347747/Edmonds/Snohomish-County/Washington/Council-confirms-Richard-Gould-as-Edmonds-finance-director-unanimous-vote","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6347747-2a62bd8e5034a2a6ac4a3d31bb186bbf/orig.mp4?Expires=1775652534&Signature=TOicA9LWPhIc~5kXnGMiZfo8ws058sR135mGHy5udi~QK6DKYlLgeQEwaq67LyUs5pwiWNOTyog7ZJDtcQdYxDuYEY5dWq~VnkQ8Lbbn3Yv3RjZreJPX4hf38lJ~88HMvwt6UR9IboGbkKUc7DKFAfWGGpjmnMvRfyR2hL5lnrxoHs1HUSh4rXdgRyjvIMV1I-OcDI68e4WwRvGtypq3tkS-BtA-7NeSPsL7uQ03mY8qp8lDit9AteOFb-Pt1Aywuc1ipRzLJ-~~Eszfi7xrMgxy~Md7kE55~pj9q5v3pDIBaS5o3ryx-y2BdTLc8Kxnohw4HbE7L2puwfvphF4pUg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Edmonds City Council on Feb. 4 unanimously confirmed Richard Gould as the city’s new finance director and approved a corresponding employment contract.

Staff described a multi-step recruitment: 34 applicants passed minimum qualifications, 23 submitted responses to supplemental questions used for screening, and three candidates received passing scores and were interviewed by a selection panel and the mayor. After panel and mayoral interviews, the mayor selected Gould. References and a third-party background check — criminal, financial and employment verification — were completed before the confirmation request came to council.

Council President Tibbitt moved to approve the appointment and the corresponding contract; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Several council members praised Gould’s experience in municipal finance and in working with cities facing fiscal challenges. Gould addressed the council briefly, saying he enjoyed the interview process and looks forward to joining the city.

Staff indicated Gould has prior experience as a finance director and city administrator; no changes to the contract terms were discussed in the open meeting. The appointment is effective following council confirmation and completion of standard onboarding and background procedures.","The council unanimously confirmed Richard Gould as finance director after a multi-stage recruitment; staff summarized the search and background checks.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6347752,"Edmonds holds public hearing on interim neighborhood centers and hubs code; residents raise height, transition and notice concerns",2029,1307000,3336000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2244697-8ca2bbc9c85eff4b413f4f4dea59dff3&start=1307&end=3336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2244697-8ca2bbc9c85eff4b413f4f4dea59dff3/thumbnail_1307000.jpg","/articles/6347752/Edmonds/Snohomish-County/Washington/Edmonds-holds-public-hearing-on-interim-neighborhood-centers-and-hubs-code-residents-raise-height-transition-and-notice-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6347752-ffa63f6f87c3a910fc86d12c9495198d/orig.mp4?Expires=1775652534&Signature=kAxiU~4iI~AwBFr2gt-grVaGGeHGnz6rCoDGwx8KC4HoT10uwJy8jOPix5e5WwtFia0vZLzmXQN653OEXrTVpUHZRHlpEnxY55Nx8bc8ZuTlAnKni1I0eSp8HOXgKN2kg3jExtA3Tio-DcA4Y2tKprt9-fcIX-8UnfOFmZC5MjOetmupAh0oUadZ-NG74JMnxtwfoYBHP-1~ogJXK2NDyZIik-ZaE8RRmTwXhGq8bpipXZ4FrZoBui7ncqfB-VX32pzAcFTfIj2W4OCbvwXuFnnf2cywbqXQy5f93ivtjH83pmGqbLNSj6jNhWEOISaFSSjeFqnDwGjTZsiboByNZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Interim Planning Director Hope outlined an interim ordinance the Edmonds City Council held a public hearing on Feb. 4 to implement neighborhood centers and hubs adopted in the city’s comprehensive plan.

Hope told the council the interim code is a temporary measure (an interim ordinance may last up to six months unless extended) that applies only in the nine areas designated as neighborhood centers or hubs in the comprehensive plan and contains definitions, subdistricts, uses, site development standards, initial design standards, signage, parking and electric vehicle charging requirements.

Under the interim code staff described three mixed-use district types (Mixed Use 3, 4 and 5) with differing height limits: Mixed Use 3 generally limited to three stories (about 30 feet), Mixed Use 4 generally limited to three stories (about 30 feet, with an option to reach ~33 feet with a taller first floor), and Mixed Use 5 starting at four stories (about 40 feet) with a possible incentive floor up to roughly 52 feet in limited cases. Hope said an incentive floor would be allowed only in Mixed Use 4 or 5 and would require on-site public benefits such as an at least 800-square-foot publicly accessible plaza, seating, landscaping and an approved master plan; green-building incentives could offer a smaller height bonus but not be combined with the incentive floor.

Hope also described proposed parking standards in the interim code: multifamily units under 800 square feet would require one parking space per unit, units 800–1,200 square feet would require 1.25 spaces, and units 1,200 square feet or larger would require 1.75 spaces per unit. For commercial uses, buildings with less than 400 square feet of commercial space would not require off-street parking. Hope said the interim code requires ground-floor commercial for multifamily projects of 20 units or more (clarified during the meeting as applying to projects of 20 or more units).

The council received a series of public comments during the hearing. Residents from neighborhoods mapped as potential hubs — including Grandview/North Bull areas — urged the council to reconsider transition-zone language, building heights and setbacks. Several speakers said the interim code’s transition provisions could still allow tall building walls close to single‑family homes if a narrow driveway or other feature placed the measurement point only 20 feet from the property line; Arlene Williams suggested a larger buffer (for example, 25 feet) or other design solutions to preserve a visual step back and reduce erosion risk on steep slopes. Williams specifically urged retaining the city code’s protected-slope status for the Westgate area (referencing section 22.1.10.70(D) by number in testimony), citing public-safety, stormwater and groundwater concerns.

Other residents — including speakers who identified themselves as living on narrow streets without sidewalks — raised concerns about parking, emergency vehicle access, road-condition impacts of increased traffic, the loss of mature trees and reduced privacy if multifamily development occurs on existing small lots. Several speakers said they were not notified directly about the interim code and asked for more outreach; one speaker said she learned about the meeting only when a neighbor knocked on her door the night before.

Council members and staff noted that the interim code is a temporary, time-sensitive implementation tied to the comprehensive plan and state housing requirements adopted in 2021, that it was intended as a starting point for more detailed, long-term code work, and that the city plans a multi-month public engagement program (online open house, in-person open house, walking tours and planning-board review) before proposing a longer-term code. Hope said staff anticipates drafting the longer-term code with refinements over the next four to six months and returning it to the council following additional public outreach.

No final ordinance vote was taken at the Feb. 4 hearing; the council opened and closed the public hearing and directed staff to continue outreach and code drafting.","City planning staff presented a temporary (six‑month) interim code to implement neighborhood centers and hubs from the comprehensive plan. Residents raised concerns about building heights, transition zones, traffic and lack of notice during a public hearing; council did not take final action.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6347757,"Edmonds Council approves renaming native plant demonstration garden for volunteer Susie Schaeffer",622,157000,779000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2244697-8ca2bbc9c85eff4b413f4f4dea59dff3&start=157&end=779","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2244697-8ca2bbc9c85eff4b413f4f4dea59dff3/thumbnail_157000.jpg","/articles/6347757/Edmonds/Snohomish-County/Washington/Edmonds-Council-approves-renaming-native-plant-demonstration-garden-for-volunteer-Susie-Schaeffer","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6347757-a8eb32057d57bb51ec9d9e11365b9433/orig.mp4?Expires=1775652534&Signature=R99HyZtvtWyyIdXqTI8GHfayNJnvij9fkwYs9YfvfJ7aTdCvzS09vkrjo6WTtEMeTZ8DeavS~6trhfoxFibki7sk1eXICE7lYSo2f8p95sUPoSPJtUiWYBFRx3yd2YDxO8eJkI4uj~0s0HSY8~pN4MpwcxSIur~o6wPh40IsTcnVbyAaKo~UY8GqHj51Sh5x5eofCUpYbSK9b~rp6ZHn7xQUOEf1A3HGmekD9KMoLZzOSD8f52HYghGm43BP05qbAIQDQTD6Jc3EQBPzi53m-Nx0NiB2QdC3uGogyNRMg9VM35qDQYFuU1FDZ22whixnc9VIDpejkKJe7M462Yyv7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Edmonds City Council on Feb. 4 voted unanimously to add and approve a consent-agenda item renaming the city’s existing Edmonds Wildlife Habitat and Native Plant Demonstration Garden the Susie Schaeffer Wildlife and Native Plant Community Garden.

The proposal, presented by Parks, Recreation and Human Services Director Angie Fessor and volunteer coordinator Jen Leach, recognizes Susie Schaeffer’s volunteer work removing invasives, planting native species and organizing the site as an educational demonstration garden beginning in 2009. Fessor told the council the garden is “located adjacent to and kind of within the Willow Creek Hatchery and Watershed Education Center” and is used as an outdoor classroom and site for community events.

The renaming follows the city’s park-naming policy and a unanimous recommendation from the planning board after a public hearing in January. Leach said Schaeffer “was at the heart of pretty much everything that was happening with environmental stewardship and volunteers in the city” and noted Schaeffer’s role co-founding the Puget Sound Bird Fest and leading workshops at the demo garden.

Council Member Olson moved to add the renaming to the consent agenda; the motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The council then approved the consent agenda, which included the renaming, by unanimous vote.

City staff described the demonstration garden as roughly two acres at the southern end of the Edmonds Marsh, adjacent to the Willow Creek Hatchery and Watershed Education Center, with a fish rearing pond and labeled plantings used for education. Presenters said the site has hosted classes, the Edmonds Watershed Fun Fair and other community stewardship programs. Sound Salmon Solutions and the Edmonds Stewards have used the site for programming, presenters said.

No alternate names or objections were recorded during the presentation or the council action. Staff said Schaeffer had accepted and supported the proposed new name, consistent with the city’s naming policy.

The council did not discuss additional implementation steps in detail; the renaming will be reflected in city materials and signage as handled through routine administrative processes.","The Edmonds City Council voted to add to the consent agenda and approve renaming the city’s native plant demonstration garden the Susie Schaeffer Wildlife and Native Plant Community Garden, honoring decades of volunteer stewardship.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Puget Sound Energy tells Edmonds council city is sole holdout on AMI meter project, warns of higher costs

Council appoints pro and con committees for special election; members selected by random draw and vote

Council confirms Richard Gould as Edmonds finance director; unanimous vote

Edmonds holds public hearing on interim neighborhood centers and hubs code; residents raise height, transition and notice concerns

Edmonds Council approves renaming native plant demonstration garden for volunteer Susie Schaeffer